There appears to be more trouble ahead for the chief minister, even if he makes centre agree for setting up two central universities, one each in Jammu and Srinagar. Protesting students say in case Central University is set up in Srinagar, then Jammu should be compensated by sanctioning IIM here
as it had already been decided to set up IIM in Srinagar.

According to original scheme of things Central University was to be set up in Jammu and IIM in Srinagar. But when it appeared that even Central University would be established in Srinagar, students in Jammu started protest. And now they are saying if Srinagar gets even Central University then Jammu should also get IIM campus.

The student organizations have said that the attempt of chief minister, Omar Abdullah to get two central universities for J&K was only a drama to show the people of Jammu that he was concerned about Jammu regions also. The student organizations say that the state government was keen from the starting that a central university should come up at Kashmir but when voices erupted in Jammu against this decision of the government, Omar rushed to Delhi to get two CUs. Suresh Magotra, state secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad said, “first of all we did not receive any intimation from the central government regarding setting up of two central universities in J&K and secondly if a CU is set up in Kashmir then Jammu should also get an IIM that is proposed to be set up in Kashmir”.

The controversy over the setting up of CU started when an advertisement appeared in a local daily that was issued from branch office of CU in Hyderpora Kashmir asking for staff for the Central University. The student organizations in Jammu got enraged seeing the advertisement because Ghulam Nabi Azad who was the chief minister in the year 2006 had assured that a CU would be established in Jammu whereas an IIM in Kashmir.

Protests are going on in the entire Jammu region for the past 19 days in which students participate and raise slogans against the state government everyday demanding establishment of a CU at Samba in Jammu. They also allege the state government of adopting discriminative policies against Jammu.

Pushpinder Singh, president of Jammu Joint Students Federation, “it is clear from the attitude of the state government that they were never serious in setting up the CU in Jammu. It was only because of the protests of the students that the chief minister was forced to go to Delhi to meet Human Resource Development minister and Prime Minister. In case two CUs are granted, the government has to face another agitation in which students will demand IIM for Jammu”.

“Both the regions of Jammu and Kashmir should get equal opportunity in every field” he added.